compopedia_2_point_0fandomcom-20200213-history
Commas
A comma is a part of the English language that is used when writing or speaking. It is has many different rules and guidelines to using them the correct way. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/comma Commas Commas are punctuation marks that indicate a pause between parts of a sentence. They are also used to separate items in Lists and mark the place of thousands in a large numeral. http://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/commas.asp The comma has many different uses throughout the English language. This page with explore some of the more common ones. It will also explore some connections between the comma and other parts of language and speech. The importance of the comma is to express a pause in writing. When speaking, its easy to pause and give the person time to comprehend what was said. However, in writing, its much more difficult to express that pause. Commas, along with apostrophes or hyphens, serve as that "pause" when writing. Comma Rules When using the comma, there are many guidelines to how it should be used. There are times that using them is appropriate and times when its not. The reason that comma rules have been developed is to help you establish those times for using the comma. If it weren't for the guidelines, commas would be used in all different types of ways and some that don't fit properly. Some of the most common comma rules are to use a comma to separate the month, day, and year within a date, using a comma before or surrounding the name or title of a person directly addressed, separating the city and state names on documents, or to set off expressions that interrupt sentence flow. http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/commas.htm Examples 1.Use a comma to separate the month and day, and year within a date. Ex. Emily was born on December 5, 2006. 2. Use a comma before and surrounding the name or title of a person directly addressed. EX. Jessica, will you please help that patient? '' Sure, Doctor. '' 3. Use a comma separating city and state names on documents. Ex. I taught in Charleston, Mississippi and Raleigh, North Carolina before coming here to Alabama. 4. Use a comma to set off expressions that interrupt sentence flow. Ex. I am, if you can't already tell, very disturbed by that story 5. Use a comma to separate items in a list. Ex. I went to the grocery store and bought apples, oranges, bread, and yogurt. 6. Use a comma to mark the thousands place in a large numeral. Ex. My favorite number is 6,523. More ways to use commas Commas are not just strictly used for grammar purposes, they can be used when editing papers or other written statements and it can also be used as a Interjection. If it is used as an interjection it has different rules. However, when commas are used in Editing they serve more of a purpose. When used in editing, they are merely corrections to add or remove. Most of the time they are taken out, since the majority of people use commas incorrectly. If used in editing it can be represented with a comma circled meaning it needs to be added, or a comma with a slash through it meaning it needs to be removed. http://www.uiowa.edu/~c019136/136s5online9/punctuation1.html References